Overview
- Renewal discussions between Jimmy Kimmel and Disney/ABC were reported Friday, Sept. 11, and sources say talks are ongoing with no final agreement reached.
- Reports sourced to Puck and other outlets say ABC has asked for about a 20% reduction in Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s operating budget as a condition of renewal.
- Network leaders including Disney Entertainment Television chair Debra O'Connell are negotiating with Kimmel's agent James Dixon on terms that could extend the show past May 2027.
- The talks reflect three pressures on the decision: falling late-night ad revenue, the show's roughly $100 million annual cost, and heightened scrutiny from the FCC and political figures after last year's brief suspension.
- How the talks end could shape late-night TV more broadly because Disney's cost-cutting push and legal fights with the FCC make this renewal a test of whether expensive nightly talk shows remain viable.